Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-13
careful in the diligent and prudent dis
charge OF his functions.

charge OF his functions.
This remark will apply to every branch
of the public service. 1t applies to legis-
latlve bodies in certain degree, as well
as to the ordinary affairs of government.
The closer you can concentrate RESPONSE
bility the more will the pnblie service be
improved. speak now st time when
cannot be charged with seeking to grasp
power, and the suggestion l throw out
springs from watchful observation and &C.
tual experit nee.
In my message to the special session of
the legislature in 1884, l said: "It is q
singular system of government that holds
the governor responsible for everything,
and yet strips him Of all power" And
this l now repest. Let the people
hold the executive strictly to ac-
count only for those matters
he may control, but further than this
they should not go. Under our form Of
government it is impossible to get rid
of q worthless officer within the period OF
his official life, and in some localities it
cannot be done at all. BY fixing the
responsibility in an individual (when
practicable) you facilitate the purpose of
the executive and enable him the more
readily to correct the abuse from which
the public may suffer.
These state lands should be managed
as an individual would manage them.
There is no more mystery in the proper
administration of government than
there is in the judicious conduct of any
other enterprise The same business
ideas will be successful in government
that will succeed in private affairs.
The lands must be classified. Let the
governor appoint agents to do the work,
giving each district. Then the poor
man or the rich, when he wants to buy q
home, will know to whom tG look. These
agents csn explain the character of the
lands, and, if necessary, they can show
them. Let them be disconnected in other
respects with the government, state or
municipal. After due inspection or salts
factory description of the land, price is
mutually agreed upon, the agent sends
forward the sale to be approved or dis
approved by the superior (whether he be
the governor or land board) and the entire
transaction is settled in half the time it
takes to make formal application to the
present. board, and at such prices as the
character of the land will Justify.
The government must sell according to
quality, and arbitrary prices will not do.
The sooner, therefore, the existing sys-
tenn is modified the better it will be for
the general public.
The legislature should provide for a
venue and court to collect the rents from
persons who have been occupying these
lands since the date of the land act of
1888. They are still good for these
charges, and should be made to pay.
Otherwise, those who have already
paid should have their money refunded
them.
THE PENITENTI' RIEs.
The system of penal servitude is one of
the most difficult p.oblems of govern
ment, and it's embarrassing features are
aggravated by the fact that nearly 5000
convicts swell the roll of our penitenti-
| aries.
At the Rask institution the iron indus
try has been successfully established, and
is now in full operation. After the COM
pletion of the furnace it was leased to
| Messrs. Conner & Farris, and under their
management 1t turned out about nine tons
of iron per day. They finally pronounced
| the industry failure, and surrendered
| their contract. Its operation was then
undertaken by the state, and under its
present management it has turned out, on
an average, thirty tons per day of splen-
did iron. The ore is inexhaustible and
the enterprise is complete success. The
board has added to the grounds by the
purchase of 1877 acres of land from DR..
Jamison, and also coal and wood lands
from other persons. The foundry and
machine-shops are in successful opera
ton, and are now turning out great guam
titles of columns, pedestals, bases and
castings for our new capitol, as well as
water-piping and various other articles
| for which there is good market.
At Huntsville the wagon and furniture
INDUSTRY is carried on, and all the cloth
ing, shoes, hats, etc, needei for both
penitentiaTies are manufactured. These
| factories are also conducted oy the state,
and so successful have they become that
the management has recently purchased
farm and added large store-house.
These are all paid for; the farm is in fine
condition, and at this, as we'll as the
other prison, the convicts are in excel
lent health.
The penitentiary board has also pur-
chased, with my approval, fine sugar
farm on Oyster creek, in Fort Bend coun-
ty. 1t consists of POO acres, cost S25, 600
and was paid for out of the earnings of
conyicts employed in building the narrow
gauge railroad from Ru>k to Lufkin.
The true theory of this species of servl-
tude demonstrates that the convicts
should be confined within the prison walls,
and while this idea forms large factor in
the political capital stock of many an as
plring oflice-seeker, yet nearly all of them
SHRINK from an enthusiastic advocacy of
the doctrine the moment you confront
them with the Increased taxation the
charge entails.
Passing from this phase of the difficult
ty, let US briefly examine II from another
and more serious standpoint. We hear
it constantly asserted by well-meaning
people that the inmates should not come
in competition with free labor. How are
we to prevent il? l would be glad if l
could see a way out of the dilem a. But
there is only one way to avoid competi-
ton, and that for the tax payers to make
up their minds to sustain the convicts in
idleness at the expense of the public
This is the plain issue, and when the peo-
pie are prepared to meet it, then, but not
till then, will this problem be solved.
The number of convicts is constantly
increasing. AS one Of the means of pre-
venting or lesseniDg this, suggested in
my message in 1883 the erection of a re-
formstory and the remodelipg Of our Grim
insl code. This sgsin urge upon the
L. 11n4 H., ~ i